Fourth Mori Kaoru review and the closing for the month This one concerns an anthology around 60 of this book includes shortmiddle manga stories and the rest includes mainly columns and single page illustrations. Anthologies are rarely if ever my cup of tea hardly finding myself too satisfied reading short stories but in this ones case I enjoyed what Mori herself described as sort of a mystery stew and a platter of appetizers. Lets elaborate. 1. Side dishes for your drink... Storieswise this anthology is unusual for Mori as she frequently toys with or totally deviates from her trademark 1920th century historical fiction. https://i.pin.com/564x/a4/1c/cb/a41ccb71b00fd0ec6180ecf35419e6b6.jpg For one three stories are set during the VictorianEdwardian eras yet two are comedies one of which is also a parody of the relationship between servantmaster. On stories that totally deviate this book includes three modern school sliceoflife stories one of which is wholesome another a comedy and another a drama set in an art school. There are also two sexy adultoriented stories one which features a head waitress in a bunny suit deflecting advances and one which is a hot play on the Japanese idiom swim practice on tatami mats. Case in point Mori Kaoru did not pen every story she included for Sumires Flowers the dramatic school sliceoflife story is penned by Fukushima Satoshi yet illustrated by her. 2. Surprise those are luxury appetizers... Despite being renown on her ultradetailed work on Emma and on Otoyomegatari this anthology displays a side of Mori Kaoru I had only slightly referenced in my Otoyomegatari review: that there is nothing she cannot depict. This extends even outside her trademarks. https://i.pin.com/564x/0d/e1/80/0de180998808ef1001332904b296dd68.jpg Be it a woman in a bunny suit in all her erotic glory her iconic Englandthemed artworks to the more mundane such a middle schooler wearing glasses or the interior of homes and libraries this woman can prove herself capable of creating an eyeful of everything. It should be apparent there is fanservice here and then but case in point a story also includes mild nudity. Encapsulation is great in all stories with frequent usage of blank space to make for contrasts with key details and smooth paneling. https://i.pin.com/564x/b0/c1/c1/b0c1c127421c7655ef670320c5d45b43.jpg Notable in comparison to her other works is that one comedy story in this anthology is drawn in a remarkably different artstyle. This was Moris original arstyle preEmma one which she cites as having been influenced by the works of a horror mangaka named Yousuke Takagashi. 3. Wait for the dessert... Once they complete the stories and read the related notes the reader is treated by Mori to series of illustrations most but not all of them on Moris trademark works Emma Otoyomegatari Shirley commentary on Emmas anime illustrations and notes to thank visitors to her mangas signings as well as some of her researchs fruits namely facts on Victorianera life and references on the role of servants in Agatha Christies works. https://i.pin.com/564x/00/66/9e/00669e0a6170a861b43b0c2f63df84fc.jpg You could skip all those if you are interested only in the stories but I recommend you give a chance to this part as well even just to appreciate some gorgeous illustrations here and then and to learn a thing or two on Victorian England. And if you are interested into Mori Kaoru as a creator and a person in general it will hardly hurt at all to read patiently through everything. Case in point the book is hard to find in a stream at least translated in English. It is highly affordable though almost 10 dollars and if you are interested in digital books you may immediately dig into it. Either way just like appetizers this book can be treated as an initiation to the main course of Moris lifework or as a standalone taste sample of her peerless skill. Hope you enjoyed my review